Scientometric Analysis of Art Branding: Mapping the Intellectual Structure and a Strategic Development Model

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to conduct a comprehensive scientometric analysis and visualization of the international research landscape in art branding to delineate its intellectual structure and to propose an actionable Knowledge Development Model for advancing the field.

Design/methodology/approach: Employing a quantitative scientometric methodology, this research analyzed a purposively selected sample of 130 articles indexed in the Web of Science database. Data were processed and visualized using VOSviewer software to perform bibliographic coupling, co-citation, co-authorship, and keyword co-occurrence analyses, thereby mapping the field's thematic clusters, influential works, and collaboration networks.

Findings: The analysis reveals a field in transition, moving from traditional brand management concepts towards qualitative dimensions of authenticity, culture, and audience participation. Five core thematic clusters were identified: Fundamentals of Brand Management and Valuation, Art-Brand Synthesis, Spatial Branding and Identity, Consumer Behavior, and Contextual-Cultural Inquiry. Key findings include significant research gaps in emerging areas like artification and artist self-branding, a pronounced geographical concentration of publications in the USA, UK, and China, and an intellectual fragmentation evidenced by distinct, disconnected co-citation clusters. Influential publications predominantly appear in marketing and management journals rather than dedicated art periodicals.

Research limitations/implications: The study is limited to English-language articles indexed in the Web of Science, which may exclude relevant work in other languages or databases. The findings imply a need for more interdisciplinary collaboration, geographically diverse studies, and practice-oriented research.

Originality/value: This study offers several original contributions. It provides the first dedicated macroscopic scientometric map of the art branding field, systematically uncovering its intellectual architecture and evolution. It identifies specific, under-explored research frontiers and highlights geographical and intellectual disparities within the literature. Most significantly, it synthesizes these empirical findings into a novel Knowledge Development Model, offering a strategic framework to guide future research, foster interdisciplinary integration, and inform practical branding strategies for artists and cultural institutions.